instead of using a battery of drugs, hoping some would work, doctors were able to use the specific drug treatments most likely to work for him, and keep him alive. >> i don't think i would be here today. it's just that simple. targeted therapy is giving cancer patients the opportunity to understand that they can be treated as an individual. >> reporter: four years later, jeff's medical miracle is informing doctors on targeted treatments for other types of cancers. for example, a targeted treatment may stop the genes that feed tumors, cutting off their blood supply. or identify cancers that are slow-growing and need less aggressive treatments. at its core, genomics is a quest to understand what is wrong at the genetic level and use that information to develop smarter treatments. >> my dream is that through cancer genomicgenomics, we will discover, in the coming years, a long list of effective, targeted therapies. a chance to get a treatment that you know is going to work. >> reporter: dr. richard besser, abc news, new york. >>> and still ahead, a word, a special word from some friends wh